--- title: "Burger King keeps pushing to bring in more families" url: https://burnaze.com/article/91e9a0e3-acae-4245-a45c-55aa4c5d50ab source: "Restaurant Business" original_url: https://restaurantbusinessonline.com/marketing/burger-king-keeps-pushing-bring-more-families category: "Burger" industry: "Restaurants" segment: "Burger" published: 2026-08-25T20:10:40.000Z modified: 2026-10-31T14:58:14.148Z image: https://cdn.informaconnect.com/platform/files/public/2026-08/background/Burger%20King%20play%20area%20maze.JPG?VersionId=dSRt1q2Mm8PkRO8HLt6T2LQxDc5C9Dmx --- # Burger King keeps pushing to bring in more families **TL;DR:** Burger King is targeting families, particularly 9- to 11-year-olds, with new nuggets made with 100% white-meat chicken and improved play areas. The company has seen 8.5% same-store sales growth in the second quarter, partly due to its efforts to attract families. *originally published in Restaurant Business on 2026-08-25. [Read the original](https://restaurantbusinessonline.com/marketing/burger-king-keeps-pushing-bring-more-families).* ## Key facts - Burger King targets 9- to 11-year-olds with new nuggets - 100% white-meat chicken used in new nuggets - 8.5% same-store sales growth in the second quarter ## Story As Burger King analyzed different iterations of an upgraded version of its Chicken Nuggets this year, it debated between two types of breading: One was a more tempura-style coating. The other was a light sweet crumb breading. So the fast-food chain’s food scientists referred to the demographic it hopes to impress the most with the new product: kids. “We talked to a lot of people,” Amy Alarcon, head chef with the Miami-based Burger King, said in an interview. “But the sweet spot, the 9- to 11-year-olds, they were the key decision-makers in this one, and this is the one they wanted. They loved it.” ## Family focus strategy That is a key group. Burger King believes that families are a key component in its comeback plan. And those 9- to 11-year-olds aren’t driving themselves to Burger King. Nor are they likely paying for the meals. If they like the nuggets, therefore, they can help determine a family’s visit decision. “If you can’t win with kids, then why bother?” Alarcon said. And so the company’s next major menu improvement initiative involves its nuggets, which are being made with 100% white-meat chicken. The company changed the marinade to make them juicier and changed the coating to be crispier. And it’s all going in a jewel box. The idea for the improvement to the nuggets came from some of the more than 100,000 calls to the company stemming from Burger King President Tom Curtis’ initiative to give out his number and use the calls to find new ways for improvement. Consumers called the old nuggets “rubbery,” “dry,” and “disappointing.” Plenty of adults consume nuggets. More than half of nugget consumers are either Millennial or Gen Z. Those, too, are crucial demographics in Burger King’s comeback efforts. But it certainly helps that nuggets are popular with the youngest set. Burger King, which still populates its restaurants with paper crowns, has long worked to get more families in the door. Yet it has traditionally fallen short of that effort, thanks in part to its past marketing efforts and its more recent reliance on discounts. Its inability to attract more families is one reason the chain's unit volumes average less than half those of McDonald's locations. ## Recent progress and growth But Burger King has made some real progress with that group lately. The company has made some deliberate steps to win over families. Its new prototype includes an option for an indoor play area. The crowns are ever-present. And in December the chain introduced a SpongeBob Meal, featuring a special box and a crown, that helped generate strong sales among families. They’ve kept coming back to Burger King since. Families certainly played a role in the chain’s 8.5% same-store sales growth in the second quarter. Curtis believes the work Burger King has done on operations in recent years has played a major role in keeping families in the restaurants. SpongeBob, the Whopper, or even the nuggets might get them there. But the company has made a number of improvements to its restaurants that are keeping them. He believes the business could remain for some time. “We’re earning the business of kids today, and we will keep that business for years to come,” Curtis said. “When you bring your kids to a restaurant, if they get treated well and better at that Burger King than they would a competitor, you’re coming back to that restaurant. “There’s nothing more important than how your children get treated.” *Members help make our journalism possible. Become a Restaurant Business member today and unlock exclusive benefits, including unlimited access to all of our content. Sign up here.* ## Entities - unit expansion (topic) - QSR (sector) - McDonald's (company) - Burger King (company) - marketing strategy (topic) - Restaurant Business (publication) - sales growth (topic) - Tom Curtis (person) - menu improvement (topic) - Amy Alarcon (person) - family targeting (topic) --- Originally reported by Restaurant Business (https://restaurantbusinessonline.com/marketing/burger-king-keeps-pushing-bring-more-families). Summarized by Burnaze (https://burnaze.com/article/91e9a0e3-acae-4245-a45c-55aa4c5d50ab).